Synthesis process using photo-induced deligandation

ABSTRACT

A process is provided for inducing a ligand substitution reaction. The process involves exposing to optical radiation a gaseous mixture including a compound of a transition metal and a first ligand and a gaseous second ligand. The gaseous transition metal compound is preferably a transition metal carbonyl.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a synthesis process that employs as a reagent a gaseous transition metal compound subjected to photo-induced deligandation.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

A known method of preparing reagents is by deligandation; i.e., the removal of one or more ligands, of compounds of transition metals and ligands. Deligandation has generally been accomplished either thermally or photochemically in solution.

Thermal deligandation of a compound of the form ML_(n), where M is a transition metal and L is a ligand, generally results in the production of a mixture of species (ML_(n-1), ML_(n-2), . . . ) in which the more highly active species are relatively minor constituents. Although removal of a single ligand and complete removal of ligands have been reported, the removal of a specified number of ligands (more than one) cannot in general be accomplished thermally.

Photochemical deligandation, particularly of transition metal carbonyls, has been the subject of a great deal of study and has been summarized recently in G. L. Geoffroy and M. S. Wrighton, Organometallic Photochemistry (Academic Press, New York, 1979), Chapter 2. Dissociative loss of one or more CO groups yields one or more coordinatively unsaturated intermediates. In general, the photo reactions have been accomplished with the transition metal carbonyl compounds either in an inert liquid solvent (see, e.g., M. Wrighton, Chem. Rev. 74, 401 (1974)) or matrix-isolated; i.e., trapped in an inert rigid matrix, usually a solid noble gas at low temperatures (see, e.g., J. J. Turner et al., Pure and Appl. Chem. 49, 271 (1977)).

Photochemical treatment of transition metal carbonyls in solution generally results in loss of only the single ligand that is most weakly bound, while irradiation of matrix-isolated carbonyls requires high input energy and yields a deligandated product in a frozen form, of limited direct utility.

Photolysis of metal carbonyls in the gaseous phase has been reported by Z. Karny et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 59, 33 (1978) and by L. Hellner et al., Nouveau Journal De Chimie 3, 721 (1979). Karny et al. produced electronically excited metal atoms by focusing on the gas the output of an ArF (193 nm) of KrF (249 nm) laser. The fluence incident on the gas was extremely high. The production of excited metal atoms was postulated to occur by a multiphoton mechanism in which the net yield of excited metal atoms depends on the square of the radiation intensity. Hellner et al., on the other hand, used rather low fluence from conventional rare gas lamps. While Karny et al., gave no indication that partial deligandation results from their procedure, Hellner et al. specifically concluded that their process involves direct dissociation to an electronically excited metal atom without generating any intermediate products.

Transition metal compounds, including carbonyls, have been studied as photocatalysts and photoassistance agents (M. S. Wrighton et al. Pure and Appl. Chem. 41, 671 (1975)). Photolysis of W(CO)₆, Mo(CO)₆, Cr(CO)₆ and Fe(CO)₅ in liquid solvents leads to the generation of intermediates that assist or catalyze olefin reactions, including isomerization. Likewise, substituted derivatives of transition metal carbonyls have also been synthesized by photochemical activation in solution (see, e.g., R. Mathieu et al., Inorg. Chem. 11, 1858 (1972)).

Synthesis of iron carbonyl complexes having fewer than 5 CO's generally involves Fe(CO)₅, Fe₂ (CO)₉ or Fe₃ (CO)₁₂ as reagents and is accompanied by inefficient coproduction of Fe₂ (CO)₉. Direct gas phase production of complexes from specific multi-deligandated fragments would provide important advantages but has not been achieved. Synthesis of other transition metal complexes directly from intermediates or fragments would also be desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a process is provided for inducing a ligand substitution reaction in a gaseous compound comprising a transition metal and a first ligand, which comprises exposing the gaseous compound to optical radiation in the presence of a gaseous second ligand.

The ligand substitution reactions of this invention are useful in preparing catalysts, catalyst precursors, and reagents for organic synthesis and for treating semiconductors for electronic applications.

Optical radiation in the context of the specification and claims refers to electromagnetic radiation in the range from ultraviolet to infrared, with wavelengths from about 150 nm to 2000 nm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A ligand substitution reaction is induced in a gaseous compound comprising a transition metal and a first ligand by exposing the gaseous compound to optical radiation in the presence of a gaseous second ligand.

The ligand(s) of the transition metal compound, which may be the same or different, are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, nitrile; isonitrile, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; alkyl, straight chain or branched, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; alkoxy, having 1-carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; alkenyl, straight chain or branched, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; mono- or di-unsaturated olefins, internal or terminal, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; cyclic di- and tri-olefins, having 1-7 carbon atoms; phenyl, optionally substituted by halogen; allyl, trifluorophosphine, carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitric oxide, and nitrogen.

Exemplary organic ligands of the transition metal compound include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, i-propyl, tert-butyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, sec-butyl, methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, ethylene, propylene, 1-butylene, 2-butylene, butadiene, allyl, cyclopentadienyl, cyclobutadiene, 1,3-cyclohexadiene, 1,4-cyclohexadiene; C₆ R₆, where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, and fluorine; tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoropropylene, perfluoromethyl, perfluoroethyl, perfluoropropyl, perfluorobutyl, tetrafluoroethyl, vinyl, ethynyl, and combinations thereof. To facilitate photolysis, the ligand to be removed by the optical radiation is bound to the transition metal by a bond energy that is preferably less than about 400 kJ/mole and more preferably less than about 200 kJ/mole. Preferably, the ligand is CO, NO or combinations thereof; more preferably, CO. Among transition metal carbonyls, those in which the transition metal is a group VIB or group VIII metal are preferred. Particularly suitable are Cr(CO)₆, Fe(CO)₅, and Fe(CO)₂ (NO)₂.

Reactive sites are provided by photo-deligandation of the transition metal compound, which generates coordinatively unsaturated intermediates. An important characteristic of the present process is that a large proportion of the intermediates lose more than one ligand and are, consequently, particularly reactive.

If these multi-deligandated intermediates are made to react with another material, unique compounds may be synthesized by ligand substitution, represented by the equation:

    ML.sub.n +xL'→ML.sub.n-x L.sub.x '

where n≧x, M is a transition metal, L is a ligand selected from the group listed above, and L' is a gaseous ligand selected from the group consisting of phosphines, PR₁ R₂ R₃, where R₁ -R₃ are hydrogen, halogen, straight chain or branched alkyl having 1-4 carbon atoms, alkoxy having 1-3 carbon atoms, and combinations thereof; amines, NR₁ R₂ R₃, where R₁ -R₃ are hydrogen, alkyl having 1 carbon atom, and combinations thereof; aromatics, C₆ R₆, where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, and fluorine; mono- or di-olefins, internal or terminal, straight chain or branched, having 1-6 carbon atoms, and optionally substituted by halogen; cyclic mono-, di- or tri-olefins having 3-7 carbon atoms; alkynes, internal or terminal, having 1-6 carbon atoms, and optionally substituted by halogen; hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxide.

Examples of suitable L' include the group consisting of PR₁ R₂ R₃, where R₁, R₂ and R₃ are hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, i-propyl, tert-butyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, sec-butyl, methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and combinations thereof; NR₁ R₂ R₃, where R₁, R₂ and R₃ are hydrogen, methyl, or combinations thereof; C₆ R₆, where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, and fluorine; ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 2-butene, butadiene, propadiene, cyclopentadiene, 1,3 cyclohexadiene, 1,4 cyclohexadiene, tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoropropylene, acetylene, 1,4-pentadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1,5-hexadiene, and combinations thereof. PF₃ is a particularly suitable ligand for substituting into a transition metal compound by the process of the present invention.

The product of the synthesis reaction may be separated and recovered by conventional processes well known in the art, such as fractional distillation and chromatography.

The vapor pressure of the gaseous ligand should exceed about 133 Pa and preferably be in the range from about 1.3×10³ Pa to 1.3×10⁶ Pa. The transition metal compound should have a vapor pressure above about 0.13 Pa. The temperature range should be about 0° C.-100° C. Room temperature, about 25° C., is suitable and convenient. The ratio of gaseous ligand partial pressure to transition metal compound pressure should be in the range of about 10 to 10¹⁰, preferably about 10³ to 10⁵. If the ratio is too low, collisions between the photofragments and the starting transition metal compound reduce the population of multi-deligandated intermediates. If the ratio is too high, there is insufficient transition metal compound to provide efficient absorption of the radiation. Preferably, radiation should be at a wavelength, or in a wavelength range, that is strongly absorbed by the transition metal compound.

Deligandation of transition metal compounds on exposure to optical radiation may be accomplished as a single-photon process, if the photon energy exceeds the metal-ligand bond energy, or as a multiphoton process. The original compound may be represented by the formula ML_(n) and the deligandated intermediate by ML_(n-x), where M is a transition metal and L is a ligand. Preferably, n and x are each greater than 1 and (n-x)≧1. This multi-deligandation is best accomplished by using radiation whose photon energy is at least twice, and preferably at least three times, the metal-ligand bond dissociation energy. Ultraviolet radiation of wavelength, in the range from about 150 nm to 400 nm is preferred.

In general, on exposure to ultraviolet radiation, more than one deligandated intermediate of the compound is formed, each having a different value of x. The relative amounts of the various intermediates are determined by the values of the process parameters, such as the partial pressures of gaseous ligand and transition metal compound and the wavelength, intensity, fluence, and number of pulses of the optical radiation. Although the relationship between product distribution and process parameters is not simple, routine experimentation provides the parameters that maximize the yield of the particular intermediate desired.

It is desirable to minimize the effects of photolysis of photofragments or intermediates generated from the transition metal compound. Thus, pulsed light sources are preferred, with fluence preferably chosen so that the probability of a molecule of the transition metal compound absorbing more than one photon from a single pulse is substantially less than one. Typically, this requirement is met when the fluence is less than about 50 mJ/cm². For the same reason, the interval between pulses is preferably long compared with the time for diffusion out of the irradiated volume. If the reactants are made to flow continuously through the irradiated volume, then higher pulse repetition rates may be used, providing desirably higher throughput. Typically, pulse durations about 10⁻⁸ s or less are preferred for gaseous ligand pressures of about 1.3×10⁴ Pa. Repetition rates below 10 Hz, and typically about 1 Hz, are preferred when the gas is not flowing through the irradiated volume. For convenience, even lower repetition rates may be used, but they are not preferred for a practical system.

A continuous source may also be used. In that case, the intensity is preferably chosen so that the probability of a fragment or intermediate absorbing a photon is substantially less than one.

A laser may provide the optical radiation for the process of this invention. An unfocused KrF laser is a particularly suitable source. Since conventional light sources are generally less expensive, however, a mercury arc lamp or other incoherent source may be used when cost is an important consideration.

In order to more fully illustrate the present invention and the manner of practicing it, the following examples are presented. The examples are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

At room temperature, a gaseous mixture of Fe(CO)₅ and PF₃ at partial pressures of 13.3 Pa and 6.7×10⁴ Pa, respectively, was placed in a stainless steel cell, 38 mm in diameter by 100 mm long, having quartz windows. The mixture was irradiated with 5 pulses from the unfocused KrF laser (248 nm, pulse duration=10 ns, energy=1 mJ, fluence=1 mJ/cm²) at sixty-second intervals. The resultant products, as determined by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy and by gas chromatography, were Fe(CO)₂ (PF₃)₃, Fe(CO)₃ (PF₃)₂, and Fe(CO)₄ PF₃ in approximate relative amounts of 0.55, 0.35, and 0.10. The net product yield per absorbed photon was approximately unity.

EXAMPLE 2

A gaseous mixture of Fe(CO)₅ and PF₃ at partial pressures of 13.3 Pa and 4×10³ Pa, respectively, was placed in the cell of Example 1. The sample was irradiated with ten pulses from an unfocused ArF laser (193 nm, pulse duration=10 ns, energy=5 mJ, fluence=5 mJ/cm²) at thirty-second intervals. The resultant products were determined as in Example 1 to be Fe(CO)(PF₃)₄, Fe(CO)₂ (PF₃)₃, Fe(CO)₃ (PF₃)₂ and Fe(CO)₄ PF₃ is approximate relative amounts of 0.01, 0.81, 0.09, and 0.09, respectively.

EXAMPLE 3

A mixture of Fe(CO)₅ and PF₃ at partial pressures of 13.3 Pa and 4.7×10³ Pa, respectively, was irradiated with sixty pulses from an unfocused frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser (352 nm, pulse duration=8 ns, energy=50 mJ, fluence=50 mJ/cm²) at one-second intervals. The resultant chemical products were Fe(CO)₂ (PF₃)₃, Fe(CO)₃ (PF₃)₂, and Fe(CO)₄ PF₃ in relative amounts of 0.31, 0.46, and 0.23.

EXAMPLE 4

A gaseous mixture of Cr(CO)₆ and PF₃ at partial pressures of 21.3 Pa and 427 Pa, respectively, was placed in the cell of Example 1 and irradiated with five pulses from a KrF laser (248 nm, pulse duration =10 ns, energy=10 mJ, fluence=10 mJ/cm²) at five-minute intervals. The resultant products were Cr(CO)₂ (PF₃)₄, Cr(CO)₃ (PF₃)₃, Cr(CO)₄ (PF₃)₂, and Cr(CO)₅ PF₃ in relative amounts of 0.10±0.06, 0.14±0.05, 0.74±0.16, and 0.02±0.02. The relative yields were unchanged when the laser fluence was reduced by a factor of four.

EXAMPLE 5

Irradiation of a gaseous mixture of Fe(CO)₂ (NO)₂ (23 Pa) and PF₃ (2.93×10³ Pa) in the cell of Example 1 with five pulses at thirty-second intervals from the KrF laser of Example 1 yields the products FeCO(NO)₂ PF₃ and Fe(NO)₂ (PF₃)₂ in relative yields of 0.5 each. 

We claim:
 1. A process for inducing a ligand substitution reaction in a gaseous compound comprising a transition metal and a first ligand, which comprises exposing the gaseous compound to optical radiation in the presence of a gaseous second ligand, said optical radiation having a wavelength in the range from about 150 nm to 2000 nm.
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the transition metal is bound to the first ligand with a bond energy less than about 400 kJ/mole.
 3. The process of claim 2 wherein the transition metal is bound to the first ligand with a bond energy less than about 200 kJ/mole.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the first ligand is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, nitrile; isonitrile, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen, alkyl, straight chain or branched, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; alkoxy, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; alkenyl, straight chain or branched, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; mono- or di-unsaturated olefins, internal or terminal, having 1-4 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; cyclic di- and tri-olefins, having 1-7 carbon atoms; phenyl, optionally substituted by halogen; allyl, trifluorophosphine, carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitric oxide, nitrogen, and combinations thereof.
 5. The process of claim 4 wherein the first ligand is selected from the group consisting of CO, NO, and combinations thereof.
 6. The process of claim 5 wherein the first ligand is CO.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of group VIB and group VIII metals.
 8. The process of claim 7 wherein the gaseous compound is Cr(CO)₆.
 9. The process of claim 7 wherein the gaseous compound is Fe(CO)₅.
 10. The process of claim 7 wherein the gaseous compound is Fe(CO)₂ (NO)₂.
 11. The process of claim 1 wherein the gaseous second ligand is selected from the group consisting of phosphines, PR₁ R₂ R₃, wherein R₁ -R₃ are hydrogen, halogen, straight chain or branched alkyl having 1-4 carbon atoms, alkoxy having 1-3 carbon atoms; and combinations thereof; amines, NR₁ R₂ R₃, where R₁ -R₃ are hydrogen, alkyl having 1 carbon atom, and combinations thereof; aromatics, C₆ R₆, where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, and fluorine; mono- or di-olefins, internal or terminal, straight chain or branched, having 1-6 carbon atoms and optionally substituted by halogen; cyclic mono-, di- or tri-olefins having 3-7 carbon atoms; alkynes, internal or terminal, having 1-6 carbon atoms, and optionally substituted by halogen; hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxide.
 12. The process of claim 11 wherein the gaseous second ligand is PF₃.
 13. The process of claim 1 wherein the optical radiation is provided by a pulsed source.
 14. The process of claim 13 wherein the radiation fluence is chosen so that the probability of a molecule of the transition metal compound absorbing more than one photon from a single pulse is substantially less than one.
 15. The process of claim 1 wherein the optical radiation is provided by a continuous source.
 16. The process of claim 15 wherein the radiation intensity is chosen so that the probability of a fragment or intermediate generated from the transition metal compound absorbing a photon is sustantially less than one.
 17. The process of claim 1 wherein the optical radiation is in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
 18. The process of claim 17 wherein the optical radiation is provided by a mercury arc lamp.
 19. The process of claim 1 wherein the optical radiation is provided by a laser.
 20. The process of claim 19 wherein the optical radiation is provided by a KrF laser. 